Third Parties On The Rise: 2nd Libertartian Town Hall Doubles Youth Viewership

In the current state of American politics, where most voters feel they are choosing between the lesser of two evils in the most literal sense of the phrase, interest in third party candidates are at an all-time high.

We are seeing the proof of this interest in the fact that CNN and other mainstream media outlets are beginning to pay some attention to other parties, giving the Libertarian party not just one, but two town hall events on prime-time cable.

Interest in the Libertarian party has continued to rise in recent weeks, as evidenced by the fact that youth viewership shockingly doubled since CNN’s first town hall event for the party on June 22.

The second Libertarian town hall event was the leading program for the evening, enjoying more than 1.6 million viewers.

To news networks who only care about eyeballs on the screen (and the cash flow which directly correlates to those eyeballs), this leap in viewership will most certainly mean a leap in coverage.

CNN has already scheduled a Green Party town hall to be held with candidate Jill Stein in the coming weeks.

Could this be the leap the third parties need to make their way onto the debate stage? If it becomes monetarily convenient for them, corporate news will make it happen. All hail the power of the dollar.

Sydney Robinson is a political writer for the Ring of Fire Network. She has also appeared in political news videos for Ring of Fire. Sydney has a degree in English Literature from the University of West Florida, and has an active interest in politics, social justice, and environmental issues. She would love to hear from you on Twitter@SydneyMkay or via email at srobinson@ringoffireradio.com